The Center for Global Development (CGD) is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit policy research organization in Washington, DC and London, UK that focuses on the issues and institutions that are critical to inclusive development. Through rigorous empirical research and active engagement with the global policy community, we focus on the policy intersections of low- and middle-income countries and the governments, institutions, and corporations that can be partners in delivering greater progress.
The Sustainable Development Finance (SDF) team undertakes research, policy analysis and recommendations, and public and private convenings to advance evidence-based proposals and policies for the effective and efficient use of development finance to support sustainable growth and poverty reduction. The focus is on low-income and lower-middle income countries (LICs and LMICs).
The work spans a wide range of topics, including: reforms to strengthen the performance of multilateral development banks, the IMF, and bilateral development finance institutions; debt solutions for LICs and LMICs; new approaches to mobilizing and catalyzing private finance for development; better impact measurement and reporting systems; local capital market development; innovations in development finance instruments and systems; better use of grants and other concessional development finance; and expanded and better allocated climate adaptation finance.
Job Summary
The Senior Program Manager is SDF’s operational and administrative lead, reporting to, and supporting, the Director. You will be responsible for keeping our people, projects, and budgets on track. Working across our DC and London office, you will build systems that help the team deliver consistently with external partners, while also overseeing core finance, grant fundraising and administration, and day-to-day operations. Working with a high degree of autonomy, you will coordinate across the full portfolio—from planning and resourcing to tracking deliverables and supporting convenings and special initiatives. The SDF Senior Program Manager is also a key point person in engaging with other parts of CGD. This role is central to how SDF operates and requires excellent judgment and skills in management, communications, and interpersonal relations. The role is highly collaborative and well-suited to someone who enjoys bringing structure, mentorship, and momentum to a high-functioning team.
This position is based in Washington, DC, which is where most of the team is based.
Responsibilities include:
A) People & project delivery (core) (~40%) Run operational processes: work prioritization and planning, and follow-through across multiple concurrent projects.
Maintain a portfolio tracker (timelines, deliverables, owners, risks) and proactively identify bottlenecks; surface tradeoffs and decisions as needed.
Develop tools for assessing and tracking SDF impact, for use with internal and external partners.
Engage and collaborate with other CGD teams, especially communications, finance, and institutional advancement staff.
Support and mentor junior staff to strengthen operational and administrative performance (meeting organization and prep, follow-up, and deliverable management), helping to build confidence and consistency.
B) Budget, grants, and contracting (core) (~30%) Oversee financial operations for SDF projects, including budget tracking, forecasting, analysis and regular reporting to the Director and other relevant CGD staff.
Work with the CGD fundraising team to craft effective and well-drafted grant proposals.
Support grant management across the project lifecycle: budget development, tracking, and reporting requirements.
Manage consultant/contractor workflows, including scopes of work, budgeting, invoicing, and payment processing; ensure compliance with organizational policies.
Ensure effective, compliant use of funds across projects; maintain well-organized financial documentation and audit-ready…